Discussion: Budget, Budget Narrative, & Sustainability Plan

The budget is a crucial piece in the logical progression of developing your proposal. Look back at the other key components—needs statement, objectives, goals, methodology, and evaluation—and consider how these pieces must be represented in and supported by the budget. One can see why a funding reviewer might begin by looking at a budget. It should fully, clearly, and succinctly depict the story of the project. The budget narrative expands upon the line items of a budget, offering further explanation of costs and needs, as appropriate.

A sustainability plan explains to funders how you will continue a project after funding has been exhausted. Not only does this plan demonstrate a proactive stance toward your project, but it also provides a funder assurance that its interests will be served beyond the project timeframe.

In preparation for this Discussion, consider the components of your project that you have determined to this point. Review this module’s Learning Resources that focus on the budget, budget narrative, and sustainability plan. Note: You may select one of the two budget formats for your Discussion post: the budget example on pp. 162–163 or use the Sample Budget Worksheet on p. 328 as a guide to develop your budget. By Day 3 of Week 5

Post the following to the Discussion board: Your Budget, Budget Narrative, and Sustainability Plan. Include a brief description of your project to provide context to your colleagues.

References: 

Gitlin, L. N., & Lyons, K. J. (2014). Successful grant writing: Strategies for health and human service professionals (4th ed.). New York, NY: Springer. Chapter 10, “Developing a Budget,” pp. 149–165 Chapter 11, “Putting It All Together to Create a Budget,” pp. 167–177 Chapter 12, “Technical Considerations in Budget Development,” pp. 179–181 Appendix D, Sample Timeline, Budget Sheets, and Flow Charts, p. 328